Tag Archives: Environment

  Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  A ban on plastic bags came into force in Kenya on Monday in a bid to slow pollution, with offenders liable to jail time or hefty fines. The ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic carrier bags was carried through after the …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s first online auction of rhino horn — held his week amid outrage from conservationists — attracted fewer buyers than anticipated, lawyers for the organiser said Saturday. John Hume, owner of the world’s largest rhino farm, organised the controversial three-day selloff which ended on …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | Soaring temperatures driven by climate change are whipping up ever-more intense storms inundating cities with flash floods but leaving the countryside and crucial agricultural land parched, an Australian study has found. Researchers at Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW) found that while hotter weather sparked …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Technological advances mean fossil fuel in cars could be phased out within decades but switching to electric carries its own environmental and economic concerns as more and more countries announce radical plans. Britain on Wednesday said it would “end the sale of all conventional petrol …

THIS WEEK: Uganda needs 400bn for conservation – UN The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has tasked Uganda to raise an annual fee of Shs418billion to finance management and conservation of its endangered animal and plant species. Almaz Gebru, the country director of UNDP says the current infrastructure binge and …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |  The animals won’t travel two-by-two, but thousands of safari stalwarts will soon begin their journeys from Zimbabwe to Mozambique in one of Africa’s largest ever wildlife transfers. Fifty elephants, 100 giraffes, 200 zebras and 200 buffaloes will be among the several thousand animals that will …

Paris, France | AFP |  Cool, high-lying areas of Ethiopia hitherto shielded from heat-loving malaria mosquitoes are increasingly exposed to the disease as the climate warms, researchers said Thursday. Most Ethiopians live in the country’s highlands, and have long enjoyed natural protection against mosquitoes carrying the malaria-causing parasites Plasmodium falciparum …

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | AFP | Malaysian customs officers have seized almost 300 kilograms of pangolin scales being smuggled through the main airport, officials said on Tuesday. The 288-kilogram (635 pound) haul was found at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last Friday in 12 boxes labelled as oyster shells on the …

Hong Kong, China | AFP |  A frontline park ranger from the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday delivered an emotive testimony to legislators against the ivory trade in Hong Kong, as the city faces criticism over how it plans to phase out the trade. The southern Chinese city, a …

EU ambassador in Uganda Schmidt baffled by Trump decision on climate By Independent Reporter and AFP Ambassador Kristian Schmidt, the European Union (EU) Head of Delegation to Uganda, has joined a chorus of world leaders to criticize US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Many …